WTAM Local News

Pilot Flying J names internal investigator

(Knoxville, TN) - Brad Martin, the newly appointed interim president of the University of Memphis who once hired Gov. Bill Haslam as an executive at Saks Inc., has been named by Pilot Flying J to oversee an internal investigation into FBI allegations of fraudulent business practices involving rebates to trucking customers.

Martin is a board member of Knoxville-based Pilot, a private company owned mostly by Haslam family members. The country's largest diesel fuel retailer is run by CEO Jimmy Haslam, the governor's brother and owner of the NFL's Cleveland Browns.

Bill Haslam was president of Pilot when he was hired by Martin in 1999 to start up online retail operations for Saks in New York.

Pilot also hired attorney Reid Weingarten, who specializes in white collar and political cases, to manage the probe.

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